Maharashtra Congress presses for urgent relief as floods devastate farmers

The Congress party staged statewide protests across Maharashtra on 3 October, demanding urgent relief for farmers devastated by incessant rains and floods. Accusing the BJP-led MahaYuti government of apathy and “mere rhetoric,” the opposition pressed for immediate financial support, loan waivers and a formal recognition of the crisis as a “wet drought.”

Congress leaders argued that despite over 50 lakh hectares of farmland being damaged, the state has yet to deliver meaningful compensation. The party’s key demands include Rs 50,000 per hectare as emergency assistance, a blanket loan waiver, waiver of pending electricity bills and additional aid for land that has been washed away.

The agitation was visible across the state, from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar—where senior leaders including MP Dr Kalyan Kale and former MLA Namdevrao Pawar led protests at the Collector’s office—to Chandrapur, where MP Pratibha Dhanorkar spearheaded a blockade of the Nagpur–Chandrapur highway.

In Chandrapur, protesters sought a “special package” for soybean growers and compensation of up to Rs 2.5 lakh per hectare for crop losses. Similar demonstrations were reported in Akola, Amravati, Buldhana, Nagpur Rural, Jalna, Latur, Wardha and Ratnagiri, with farmers and activists accusing the government of neglecting rural distress.

Senior Congress figures, including state in-charge Ramesh Chennithala and party president Harshwardhan Sapkal, tore into the government’s relief measures, describing them as “a pittance.” Both reiterated the demand for higher payouts, free seeds and fertiliser, and a full loan waiver.

Voices from beyond Congress added to the pressure. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray urged the Centre to sanction a Rs 10,000 crore package for Marathwada, while NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar stressed the need for counselling camps and long-term rehabilitation to address farmers’ psychological and economic trauma.

The state government has so far announced a Rs 2,215 crore package for 3.16 million farmers and promised that payments will be made before Diwali. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has assured that although a “wet drought” cannot be declared under official manuals, all drought-related benefits would be extended to those hit by excess rainfall.

Authorities have also instructed banks to hold back recovery notices in affected districts and extended crop inspection deadlines to allow more comprehensive surveys. In Dharashiv, recovery action was suspended following local protests.

However, farmer unions argue that these steps are inadequate. Activist Manoj Jarange has demanded Rs 70,000 per hectare for crop loss and warned of intensified agitation if a wet drought is not declared before Diwali.

As the state awaits damage assessment reports due by 5 October, anger continues to simmer in rural Maharashtra. For many farmers who have lost not just crops but also soil and land, the government’s promises fall far short of expectations. With opposition parties vowing to escalate protests, the MahaYuti government faces mounting pressure to move beyond announcements and deliver tangible relief.

With Agency Inputs